I am a true lover of all things vegetable. Really, I love them. I eat them raw, steamed, sauteed, braised, roasted… whichever way you prepare them, I will happily eat almost any vegetable. Unless, that is, it is overcooked, mushy and discolored. I believe that is how many children were/are raised eating vegetables, which is most certainly why there is a ‘veggie taboo’ in many homes. When cooked well and seasoned properly, vegetables can become a house favorite… but take one bite of a scorched broccoli floret, and well it can ruin you for life.
With that said, we do a lot of salads in our house for dinner and lunch. I most always have these items in stock:
• cheese
• nuts and seeds
• dried berries
• varietal lettuces
• beans or cooked meat
• miscellaneous raw or cooked veggies
My husband and I, at least once a week, eat salad for dinner accompanied by a local bakery baguette dipped in olive oil. My daughter has salad too (the crunchy kind!) supplemented with something else yummy like mac-n-cheese or pasta.
Recently my hubs and I went to the Purple Pig for a much needed night out. Very tasty and fun. Along with several pig-centered dishes, we ordered up an arugula salad with peas, asparagus… toasted hazelnuts, some sort of cheese, prosciutto … and I forget what else, but damn was it delicious. We practically licked the bowl clean!
So, in my typical post-dinner-out methodology, I tried to recreate this meal at home… and it turned out pretty well. Of course we didn’t have everything from the restaurant, but this is what we used:
Purple Pig Salad Redux
Ingredients
• Arugula
• Raddicchio
• Toasted almonds
• Blanched asparagus (blanch only to crisp tender)
• Frozen peas
• Grana Padano
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Toss it all together until it tastes good. I think we were missing the ‘meat’ here, but it still tasted wonderful. Don’t you want to just swim in that photo?
Father’s Day Breakfast
Hello friends, are you out there? I doubt it… its been a long time after all. Well, there is good reason for that. Back in November, we added a bundle of joy to our family in the form of a “spirited” baby boy. I say spirited because he has kept things very interesting in the last 7 months leaving me with little time to do anything other than change poopy diapers, play tea set with my daughter and nurse, nurse, nurse. So that is what I’ve been cooking lately… lots and lots of breast milk. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of being milked on a regular basis… well, its kind of like being a chef (I presume) in a 5 star restaurant… there’s always a hungry customer with big expectations. Ok, that is not a perfect analogy, but you get the point.
Anywho, around 6 months, as most parents know, things ease up a little because baby is eating REAL food. Nice, mushy, soupy stuff and moms and bottles get a little break. Slowly, I’m making my way back from the couch to the kitchen and trying to dream up creative meals, (I’m dying to use the creative section of my brain!) but now things are much different. Dishes are planned quickly, and mostly from what I can find in my fridge and cupboards. If I have time to plan ahead, I keep it simple and fast with as little cookware as possible. I’m also now making homemade baby food and preschool lunches, so the logistics that go into making things yummy, healthy, mushy, portable and sometimes grown up can get a little tricky, but I’m enjoying the process.
So for my first post in a very long time, I’m sharing my completely spontaneous-was-in-the-fridge breakfast I made for Father’s Day. I call it The Mountain of Breakfast Goodness. You can add, remove at will… the key is to build with texture and flavors and be able to have a little bit of everything in every bite.
Mountain of Breakfast Goodness
Ingredients
• 1 slice hearty, artisan bread or English Muffin
• 1 slice of cheese (Havarti would be good, but we used Cheddar, and I did not partake in the cheese because I usually prefer my eggs without but that is another story)
• 2 slices of yellow or orange tomato
• sliced avacado
• chilés in adobo chopped and mixed with mayo (I used Veganaise as I mostly do these days)
• 1 egg, over easy
• fresh chives
Start with your toast, and toast it a little more than usual to get a nice, crunchy piece able to withstand a mountain of goodness. Then layer with cheese, tomato, avacado and over easy egg. Drizzle the chilé mayo sauce and sprinkle with chives. Generous freshly ground pepper and sea salt to top. We ate this with a side of uncured bacon, strawberries and bananas and fresh orange juice. Don’t forget the coffee.
Sidenote: So I’m planning to get back to blogging regularly, but bear with me… I’m out of practice.
Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Bars
So I mentioned these little treats in my last post and of course they are still on my mind. Literally, whenever I think of them, I begin to salivate and envision eating one with a cold glass of milk. They are so simple and delicious… and include my favorite dessert flavors: autumn spices + chocolate. The two together may seem a bit strange at first, but trust me, they compliment each other perfectly. The pumpkin keeps the bar chewy and moist for days (if they last that long) and the chocolate chips become schmeared all through the chewy goodness, making each bite tinged with spice and sweetness. Mmmmmm, must… stop…. imagining…. them.
The recipe calls for lining the pan with foil, and I understand why as the bars are very ‘wet’ when they come out of the oven. The foil allows you pull it away and scrape any pumpkin goodness off fairly easily. Not sure what would happen otherwise. One more thing, it also says you should let them cool entirely before slicing and eating…and of course I did not do this. They are definitely better once they’ve cooled and set a bit, but if you are like me and cannot wait, you may want to use a spoon to eat the warm, pumpkiny chocolately mush straight out of the oven. These are perfect for Halloween treats, Autumn get-togethers or just indulging in while watching a sappy movie on a chilly Sunday afternoon.
This recipe is adapted from good ‘ol Martha… enjoy.
Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Bars
Makes appro. 24 bars
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon each allspice and cloves (all ground)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (or make your own, learn how here… but note the straining part)
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Chicken with Carrots and Olives
So its been quite awhile since I’ve last posted. Why? Simply put: I’m pregnant and recently moved to Chicago. Both can take quite a bit out of a lady, wouldn’t you say? Put them together and well I haven’t had much time to think… let alone cook and then write about it. But I HAVE been eating… and now I that we’re settled, I’m slowly pulling out the pots and pans again. I’ve been thinking about my blog almost every day and finally, today, I decided to dive back in. Hello friends… if you’re out there.
So its kind of ironic that I’m pregnant (due in December) and my cooking blog fell to the wayside. I mean, isn’t that what pregnancy is all about? Eating, eating, and eating? At least after the nausea subsides? Problem is, cooking from scratch becomes a little more challenging with more responsibilities, or shall I say ‘kids’. I’m tired, there’s dishes, I want food NOW. It’s interesting how life can change in a flash, and so can your interests.
But I suppose it isn’t my interest in cooking that has changed, its just that my repertoire has evolved. Now I am looking for creative meals that I can cook quickly on weeknights. My husband and I are no longer staying up until midnight making meatballs and drinking Zinfandel (although I long for this day again) instead we are sprucing up veggie burgers and in bed by 10. I have an insatiable appetite for sweets and am becoming obsessed with baked things that smell like Autumn… banana bread, oatmeal cookies, spice cake. I cannot get enough of these seasonal treats and am thinking of making another batch of pumpkin bars as we speak.
I also now have a two-and-a-half year old who is an amazing eater and can already decipher her tastes… sour, spicy, sweet, salty… she describes them all to me. It’s fun cooking new recipes for her to explore while figuring out ways to jam in as many nutritious ingredients as possible. One of my goals in life is to not have children who eat only chicken fingers and french fries. Not only is this disgusting healthwise, but how boring! Children are just small people and they exist all over the world raised on cuisines that include raw fish, rich spices, greens and other foods that are for some reason, thought to be only for ‘grown ups’ in America. Oh, don’t get me started on this one… I’m very opinionated about it. I know kids can be picky and that is part of growing up, but parents can play a big part in what kids learn to love. I’ll stop there.
Which brings me to this recipe. I wanted something quick, hearty and delicious… especially for my girl who loves olives.
From an old Real Simple magazine, I whipped this up on a Tuesday. My daughter ate an entire bowlful. Me too… and the next day.
I think a dollop of sour cream would also be nice on this dish, and some extra red pepper or hot sauce to give it extra zing.
Chicken with Carrots and Olives
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice (follow the directions)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 , 4-6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The recipe cuts them before cooking, but I cooked mine whole then sliced before serving.
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 -5 carrots cut in 1/2 inch diagonals
- 1/2 cup (or to taste) pitted Kalamata olives. I used mixed olives… green, black, some other fancy kind from the fresh bar.
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper. If cooking for kids, omit and add to individual plates if needed
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Directions
- In a medium saucepan cook your brown rice to directions and fluff with fork. Place aside (or make yours early in the day like I do)
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
- Add the onion, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the broth, carrots, olives, and red pepper and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. If cooking full breasts, may need to cook a bit longer.
Stir in the parsley and serve over the rice.
As soon as the first warm, sunny day appears in spring, it’s time to break out one of my favorite, all-time recipes: Texas Caviar. This is a recipe that was passed to me by my best friend in college (coming from her mama, and other fine women before her), and has since been passed on to hundreds of friends and family members whom I’ve either served it to, or handed off the scribbled recipe to via email or scrap paper. I have never met an individual who hasn’t liked this simple, healthy ‘bean salsa’, and most people find it addictive… eating it and eating it until their bellies are full of black eyed peas and hominy. The recipe is simple and easy to adjust according to your likes/dislikes. A few things are necessary though: 1) Good tortilla chips; with a strong holding ability and nice amount of saltiness. 2) You must keep the black eyed peas and hominy. Their textures MAKE the salsa. Some folks like to add things like chickpeas or black beans, and I suppose that could make it tasty too.
Now, I’ve been making this recipe from memory for years… so sometimes I forget the exact quantities, but this should get you in the right arena. This makes a lot of caviar, enough to last for a medium sized party or to feed your family for a week. But don’t be scared, you usually will eat it all week long until every last drop is gone. Enjoy. Note: I try to use as much organic produce as possible. You can find organic canned black eyed peas and hominy and even organic salad dressing. If you want to add more work to your recipe, you can soak your own beans and make your own Italian dressing.
Texas Caviar
Ingredients
- 4 cans of black eyed peas
- 2 cans of white hominy
- 5 medium ripe tomatoes chopped in approx. quarter inch cubes (I like a lot of tomato so use your judgement)
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2-1 jalepeno seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 medium bunch of scallion chopped
- 1/2-1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
- 1 large bottle of robust italian dressing
- generous dash of course sea salt and black pepper
Chop everything. Mix everything in a big bowl. Add the dressing, mix it up. Dip a chip in and taste this stuff. MMMMmmmmm.
Usually we can’t wait to eat it, so we spoon some out (use a slotted spoon) and eat it with tortilla chips. Technically you should let the mixture soak in the Italian dressing, then drain and serve chilled. Either way it is scrumptious. Also delicious in scrambled eggs, salads, or wraps and burritos.
The coolest pickles ever
I am a huge fan of pickles. I eat them all year long, but get a particular hankering for them when the weather gets warm. I prefer a crunchy pickle, but will eat the softer variety IF… they are spiced well and have a special je ne sais quoi to them. (Highschool French in action…) I love dill, garlic, sweet, spicy, on sandwiches, off sandwiches, deep-fried, sliced, whole, quartered… it doesn’t really matter, if its a pickle, I’ll usually eat it.
That is why I was excited to learn about Rick’s Picks.
From his Foodzie shop: Founder and CEO Rick Field grew up making traditional pickles with his family in Vermont, and after a career in TV production, decided to make his passion for pickling into a business. His pickles are distinguished by their exceptional quality, with an unusual array of varieties and flavor profiles. Rick’s Picks, with offices on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, makes thirteen varieties of shelf-stable pickles. The pickles are hand-packed and all natural, made in season with produce from local farmers. They bring innovation to a category that hasn’t seen much change in a long time.
I love so many things about these pickles from the hip design, to the clever names. It’s also pretty cool that these picks are uber-eco-friendly. They use local ingredients from local farmers and are packaged in reusable glass jars, AND, well pickles can last for a very, very long time.
Check out Rick’s Picks for your next summertime picnic, pregnant mama gift or frequent snacking habit.
SnackTaxi
Did you know that each year, “an estimated 500 bilion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide? AND that plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade…breaking into smaller and smaller toxic bits, contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food chain when animals accidentally eat them” (Thanks for the info SnackTaxi.) Pretty sad and icky, eh? And do you ever think about that when you’re packing up lil’ Johnny or Suzi’s lunch or stashing a half-eaten apple into the fridge, only to throw it away after one use?
Yeah, I thought so.
Well, this is something I now think about every time I pull out an ol’ ziplock to preserve my pb&j. Since having my daughter, we’ve been using plastic baggies on a regular basis, even when we’re trying not to. They seem so convenient and necessary, and of course… available. But I’ve always known I could find something equally effective yet better for my family, my pocket and for the planet. (Not to mention something to remove the images of landfills and dead marine animals from my already stressed-out brain.)
So when I attended the GoGreen Expo in NYC two weeks ago, I was happy to find Erin Kelly-Dill, owner and creator of SnackTaxi, along with her hundreds of smartly-designed, fabric and velcro snack and sandwich bags. Each bag has a 100% cotton exterior and are lined with a nylon/polyurethane coating on the underside (the side that doesn’t touch your food) to protect the fabric from moisture. The baggies have a velcro closure and come in many designs and sizes from snack to sandwich to lunch bag size. Both inner and outer fabrics are free of lead and phthalates, and the best part is… they’re only like $7! Yes, more than a box of ziplocks, but these bags can last years and think of how many boxes of baggies you go through in one year.
We’ve been using our one snack taxi to cart around o’s and peanut butter crackers, and my daugher loves it! My next step is to purchase more taxis and phase out our use of plastic baggies as much as possible. I know we can do it… and so can you.
Oh, and in honor of Earth Day next month, I’ve decided to highlight eco-friendly, food-related products for the month of April. This will be fun.
Monday Meatballs
In honor of my hometown-childhood-playmate-gone-NYC-super-chef’s recent opening of the much awaited West Village pizzeria, Pulino’s, I’ve decided to tell you about my experience making Monday Meatballs from his cookbook (written while still cookin’ at San Fran’s A16), A16 Food+Wine.
Let me just start off by saying, these are the best meatballs ever to exist on earth. Honestly, I can barely think of them without drooling. They are just what you want a meatball to be: tender, flavorful and purely meat-centric. In fact, I think the key to creating this perfect ball of meat is that it is ground from whole cuts of beef chuck, pork shoulder, pork fat and prosciutto from my very own meat grinder attachment on my shiny, red KitchenAid mixer. No pre-packaged ground meat used. It may also have something to do with the ricotta, country bread, basil, fennel, grana… oh my.
So, back to the meat. Why grind your own? Yes, it certainly isn’t as convenient as the pre-packaged stuff and does dirty up more dishes, but there are major benefits. First, it’s fun. I mean, just trying something new and different in the kitchen is an entertaining event all its own. My husband and I make a date of it… there’s nothing like rollin’ raw meatballs, barehanded on a Saturday night. Second, its nice to think about. Let’s face it, ground meat can be a little icky with all of the extended exposure to bacteria not to mention the fact you’re probably eating several different cows in one little burger. (Hmrph.) Third, its customizable. Not only can you merge various types and cuts of meats, you can select where you get your meat from… preferably from a grass-fed and eco-friendly farm and/or responsible market.
Lastly, it just tastes better. Over the years, I’ve eaten probably thousands of burgers, meatballs, meat sauces, patties, loaves, ‘rites… you meat-name it, and nothing has ever tasted so fresh and tender. Now you may be thinking, ‘she probably thinks it tastes so good because she made it from scratch’… and that’s entirely possible. Enjoying the fruits of one’s labor is always so sweet. However, I’m quite certain that the quality of the ingredients in any dish does make the difference. If you don’t believe me, try it out. Find your KitchenAid meat grinder attachment here.
Now, this isn’t a recipe that you can just whip up on a Monday evening after work… it does take time, but making the time is half the fun. When we make Monday Meatballs it is usually on a Saturday or Sunday and we make A LOT. We enjoy them for dinner… a snack the next day… maybe lunch, then we freeze all of the remaining in dinner-sized portions so we can whip them out quickly when in frenzied meatball mode. They thaw wonderfully over low heat in a covered pot. Drizzle with olive oil, top with cheese and have some crusty french bread on hand. Don’t forget the vino. They are also quite tasty as an appetizer for guests. Make plenty.
To find the recipe, pick up the book or check out this handy video by Chef Appleman himself. You will not be disappointed.
Lemon Cake, Dessert Recipe #4
Hi. I’m back from my hiatus and here to declare that I actually DID finish my dessert-per-week challenge during the month of January. However, I have decided (as has my growing jelly roll) that we will not continue this challenge for the rest of the year… at least on a weekly basis. I do eat dessert of some kind almost daily, but the pressure to make the weekly dessert also creates pressure to eat the fresh, weekly dessert before it goes stale and I just can’t live with that kind of pressure. So, I’ll pop in now and then with my dessert discoveries in a more relaxed manner. Dessert should be relaxing, afterall, right? Indeed.
So the final dessert of January’s challenge was Ina Garten’s Lemon Cake. I will begin by saying that is was a complete success and quite possibly the most yummiest lemoney sweet treat I’ve ever encountered. I made it for a dinner party I had for my beloved NYC friends in which we also celebrated the news of their impending leap into parenthood. So take note here: pregnant ladies like this recipe.
I chose to make Lemon Cake because I was making traditional Chicken Caccitorre with Polenta for dinner, and wanted something with a lighter, refreshing feel for dessert. Now, the last thing this cake is, is light at least in butter and sugar content. But amazingly, it tastes light and finishes a heartier, rich meal quite well. I also served the cake with a spoonful of Haagen Dazs Ginger Ice Cream which added a most delicious creaminess to the cake and a tummy-pleasing finale to a wonderful meal.
Some great things about this recipe: 1) I got to use my new lemon zester. If you do not own a zester, I suggest you get one. Zest is the best. 2) The recipe calls to use loaf pans instead of cake pans which I thought was a little weird, but it actually is much better this way. It is served like a sliced pound cake and makes two loaves. You can serve one and freeze the other, or eat it every day for breakfast until it’s gone like we did.
I highly, highly suggest this recipe. It would be particularly lovely for Easter Brunch.
Lemon Cake
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!, 2001
Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans.
Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest. (I did not have the ‘paddle’ attachment and used the flat beater attachment. It worked fine but the paddle would be better.)
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.
Makes 2, 8″ loaves
2010love
Well, as you may have noticed, I haven’t posted in several days. This isn’t because I’ve been in frenzied cooking mode or because I’ve been on a warm, relaxing beach vacation (sadly). Nope, its because I’ve got another little project going that is food-related and whipped up for a good cause.
My sister and I started 2010love, a project created to inspire people to make a positive change in their own lives and the lives of others, starting now.
We are currently selling 100% organic tees on Etsy available in Men’s and Women’s sizes. Children and infant sizes are coming soon.
10% of t-shirt proceeds will be donated to Slow Food USA, an organization we hold close to our hearts. Slow Food USA envisions a world in which all people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet. www.slowfoodusa.org
So check it out! And I didn’t abandon the dessert project, I’ll update you on last week’s lemon cake soon!
